The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
by a singular dream
Summary: [Give Me Some Space! OneShot Collection] Nowadays, Phoebe Avalon Vesper can write a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by herself. Rule number one? Make sure you're going to the right spaceport on the right planet—and don't get stuck in a snowstorm that ends up changing your goddamn space pirate life. Rule number two? If you have the chance, prank the whole military.
1. How To Survive Family Dinner

**ECCARS, Hansport, Oasis Central Space Port**

Phoebe Avalon Vesper hates snowstorms. It's not the snow or the cold that is her issue; in contrary, she loves the rare family holidays on KOBOS. It's more the fact that by now, she could write a _Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_, and the first thing she'd write into it is 'Make sure that the space port you want to go to is on the right planet'.

For some ridiculous reason, _ECCARS_ out of all places has a mini space port called 'Oasis Central'. Definitely a prank to tourists. Oasis Central, if you just look at it, is obviously INIDES. It _has_ to be—the largest space port on INIDES is called Oasis Central.

When that creepy old smuggler offered her a ride to 'Oasis Central' for a discounted price, Phoebe—who wanted to go to INIDES—obviously said yes. Besides a bunch of weak advances (Phoebe has been all over the galaxy, no, he was not the hottest guy she's encountered), she missed that they weren't flying towards the sun, but away from it.

To be fair, she chose to spend the three days of travel from XAGION's moon to, what turns out to be, ECCARS with movies and sleep. Phoebe likes sleeping in zero gravity—unlike many people, she finds it comfortable. That, and she had plans to see her family again—for the first time in two months. Turns out that didn't happen.

Phoebe Avalon Vesper's plan was clear. XAGION's moon to INIDES on a not-so-legal ride, and then a nice, comfy first-class ride home—through customs and all legal. She isn't particularly interested in explaining why she hasn't spent the past two months on INIDES as her ID claims.

(Space Pirate problems.)

But now, she's on ECCARS. ECCARS is not only in the middle of nowhere (actually, edge of anywhere, but details), but there's another issue. An issue that is more related to missing family dinner than anything else.

There's a fucking large snowstorm covering what feels to be half of the whole planet—and that's saying a lot, because Phoebe is on the equator of ECCARS. Snowstorms are normal here, and besides a bunch of dead prisoners, being in the space port that claims to be 'the best holiday destination on ECCARS' (it may be, but it's not good) means that there is a heating system.

"I wonder how much energy they got stored. The wind power will be overloaded in this storm," a native worker worries. She catches his accent. Poor guy, must be horrible to work in this wasteland.

(Even the Space Pirates avoid it.)

Phoebe shares that worry—but she hopes that the proximity to the ECCARS equator base of the military means that somewhere is an anti-matter drive. That'll solve it, but god knows if these two natives know of that. She doubts ECCARS has any good education.

There are two tired soldiers present—Phoebe noticed them after touch down—and she promptly goes there. A part of her wants to know the situation, part of her wants a distraction from the obvious fact that they're stuck on a ball of ice.

(Goddamn 'Oasis Central'.)

They may be able to communicate to the north and south pole, but interplanetary communication requires satellites to relay the signal. This storm? These grey clouds, lightning and snow? There's no way the strongest satellite on ECCARS is getting through. ANGELES' satellites probably could, but there's no way ECCARS has that technology—in orbit or on ground.

"Excuse me?" Phoebe asks. She doesn't have trouble gaining the two soldier's attention. She's been listening to ANGELES media for the past flight, to get back into that typical posh accent she's been hiding for months. If her fellow pirates ask, she's from the ANGELES underground—close to the actual ground of the planet, and doesn't live in the three-hundredth level of the Southern Tower.

"Yes, ma'am? How can we help you?" They straighten in posture. Their accent is from ANGELES too—as seasoned traveller, Phoebe recognises that—but not Beverly Grove. Not rich-rich-rich people. Middle class.

"This storm, can you give me the weather report? I can't get any signal in." She points to the glasses that have been giving her the time, date. Because they landed in the early stages of the storm and she was asked not to connect to the satellite network during the travel, the glasses don't know where she is. Phoebe does not like that. The 'no network' sign isn't good either—and she's using her best receiver.

"Nor can we," Soldier Number One admits. Phoebe isn't surprised; local soldiers on ECCARS are never the best. For the prison? Yes, but other than that, it's a 'dumb the bad ones'. On ANGELES, a soldier would never ever reveal such panic-inducing information that easily. "The winds seem to be about three hundred kilometres-per-hour, and it's been forecasted to last for at least two weeks. Knowing ECCARS, expect three."

"Is enough food stored?" She adds a little more concern to her voice. Sure, she is concerned, but she's been in worse spots.

(Space Pirate stories.)

They're a little dumbfounded. Just a tiny bit. Nobody expects a girl like Phoebe. She's a paradox herself. Leather jacket, ripped jeans (way too cold, but she was expecting INIDES!) but the same accent as Empress Naya herself. Nobody expects someone like her—half rich lady, half criminal-in-making—to worry about food resources. Phoebe, however, is Phoebe, and if there's one thing she knows, then that there's only once chance.

Failure is a big no-no.

"Yes, ma'am. No transit outside military is allowed though, so you're stuck in the space port. Sorry."

"Don't worry," she hums. "I expected that. Any chance we'll get a signal? I made a mistake in travel planning, and I'd like to contact my family."

Soldier Number Two shakes his head. "Sorry, ma'am, but all signal is reserved for government communication until further notice. You won't get through either way."

Phoebe curls her lips. She could—if she wanted—bring up her father, but doesn't. It'll be fine; they'll make the connection—she knows her father. Perceptive, cunning, manipulative. He'll know. He'll definitely know. Mum won't have a heart attack.

"Ah, I see. Thank you for your help. Have a nice day."

She waves a semi-interested good-bye, picks up her bag (surprisingly light, but most stuff is with the pirates or digital; she only has a bunch of souvenirs for home and clothes. That, and pins. Mainly pins.) and heads to the only hotel on the space port.

"Please tell me you have hot showers and heaters here," she mutters while beginning to book a room with the android receptionist. She doesn't expect him to have the same AI as Sonia, their main droid at home.

"Rooms with hot showers and heaters are an extra charge of one-thousand-two-hundred ECCARS dollars."

Phoebe rolls her eyes, but lets the system scan her iris either way. She's not used this account since leaving ANGELES—it's connected to her identity and she prefers cash for exactly that reason, but given that she's not travelling as Phoebe Avalon Vesper and not Abby Wasp, that doesn't matter. The Vespers have enough spare change for hot showers.

"You are given ten litres per stay. Additional litres cost two-hundred ECCARS dollars per unit."

"Ridiculous." Phoebe pauses. "That's overpriced. Fucking overpriced." The Vespers have the spare change. She sighs, accept the transaction and is told that 'Due to network difficulties, we are unable to proceed your transaction. Please wait until the transaction was manually approved.'.

"You don't say," Phoebe mutters. She leans on her left leg, pulls out ear plugs and with the help of the lovely control system that her accessories actually are, starts music. She's in the mood for 21st century music—Star Wars theme music. Not very fit for the boring occasion, but something is better than nothing.

(Da-da-dada da-dada da-dada.)

[✧✴✧]

**ANGELES, Beverly Grove, University of Angeles**

Connecting to outer-space takes time, and Cynthia Vesper knows that. Even now that she is heading past students after a first-year guest lecture, with the same glasses (although newer model) as her daughter, she considers taking a detour to the local military headquarter, and not straight home.

Of course, Cynthia Vesper, a civilian, does not know where the GHQ currently is. Even if her husband is the highest person on-board, a step beneath the Empress herself, she is in no position to know that. She can, however, assume that given the puffer time when 'Connection Established' pops up, that the GHQ is rather close to ANGELES, and no on the other side of the sun.

(She doesn't know if he can read her face.)

"Knox, do you have a moment?" she begins, passing into the parking lot. Her transport ship, including the chauffeur, is waiting for her, and she takes a seat as her message goes back.

To Cynthia Vesper, the situation is grave. However, she's aware of the current politics and her husband's job. Never ever would she require him to leave a meeting early, even if someone was dying—just like he wouldn't do that to her and her research.

(Both have outstanding work ethic, to say the least.)

"I'm about to head home," General Knox Vesper replies. She can't see him—video transmission takes longer, and that's an unnecessary luxury. "Did something happen?" The General's voice isn't like Cynthia's—an allusion to trembling, but just an allusion, because she knows how to hide it—but relatively positive. Maybe some form of success happened earlier, she assumes. She'd be happy if the EMU has caught another enemy base. She likes success, quite a lot.

He has no idea. "Have you heard of Phoebe? Her last message arrived days ago, and she should have sent through the flight information already. I can't reach her."

Knox Vesper knows their daughter. "She's probably just offline, or asleep. Cynthia, she'll be alright. She's an adult."

"It's been days. She was planning to arrive the day before you'd leave at best. I've checked—there's nothing on any space port in INIDES that would indicate delay in the past seventy-two hours."

Her husband pauses. They know their daughter; her free spirit and curiosity in travelling has kept Cynthia Vesper on the edge for the past eight years. She's grown used to it, and so has Phoebe—usually, she informs them if she's out of contact for a while, and they accept that. It's one of the conditions for Cynthia to alright with her travels. It's one of Knox' too.

(All that for her little girl's happiness.)

Knox sighs. He may not take it as serious—he probably loses contact to military units for longer and isn't worried—but he knows Cynthia. He knows _how_ she thinks. "I'm about to take off," he states. "Lennox will be joining me any moment. I'll have, once we're in deep space, someone check the system if Phoebe is on board of any ship travelling right now, or if there were any accidents not known to the public."

It's abuse of power, and Cynthia knows that. You can, if you want, talk around it, but there's no doubt that it's abuse of power. But General Knox Vesper does not answer to anyone but Naya Schreave, and if there's anyone in the solar system that understands Cynthia's feelings for losing a child, then it's Naya.

There's a tear of relief in her face. "Thank you," she whispers. "Thank you, Knox."

"You're welcome, Cynthia." Knox pauses. "I'll be right back."

It's these tiny gestures that make her love this family so much. It's her safety network; it allows her to go all out in her research. She can crash here. She leans back, and watches the skyscrapers of ANGELES pass by. Her ship raises in altitude—they'll land on level three-hundred—as the pause happens.

She's not worried. It'll be Lennox joining his father. She tells herself—and unlike with Phoebe, she does believe it.

It's him. When the transmission resumes, she's informed that it goes through a different device. "Hi, mum," Lennox Aelius Vesper speaks. "I hope you can do with me too."

(Oh, how she loves her little boy.)

Cynthia laughs amused—it's a soft, small laughter, but better than the tears of worry that she had felt coming in the lecture. Of course, they never came, but they could have. "I can, my little sun."

"I'm taller than you, mum."

Cynthia shakes her head. "Lennox, please." There's no scolding in her voice—not now, and not about this little thing. It's a normal thing.

She engages into a conversation with her son—about what's been going on at his work (his mission oh-so-happened to end at the GHQ in time; she's always happy that Knox can pull these strings) and how things are going with his friends, if that lovely girl that has a crush on him is doing well (there are multiple, but Cynthia has made a joke out of mixing them all into 'that lovely girl that fancies you') and how her own life has been. Cynthia Vesper is never lonely, even if her family is light years away.

It's only Lennox who can keep her distracted—even when hours pass at home, and there's still no sign of Phoebe Vesper. Knox' assurance that no, going by the system, Phoebe Avalon Vesper, Citizen ID ANGELES-22-080-721-032-136 is still on INIDES as a visitor. She also has been for the past three months. Knox leaves out that he doubts that Phoebe has been staying there the whole time, but Cynthia doesn't even think about that.

Knox and Lennox arrive, alone.

Phoebe does not.

When they eat dinner together, neither Lennox or Knox pretend to not see the worry in her eyes. They promise to do all they can, and that is good, but that doesn't change that her little moon is somewhere in the vast galaxy and not telling her where…

[✧✴✧]

**Somewhere in deep space, Military GHQ, Knox Vesper's Office**

The call reaches the General after a meeting concerning possible actions taken against the Uprising on EVRIA. He is happy with the outcome, but when he reaches his office and hears the message, he is not.

Knox Cole Vesper is very much aware of his wife's health—physically and mentally. It's an ongoing issue, and the reason that Lennox officially uses to excuse his monthly visits to ANGELES. There's more to Cynthia's health, including the times when she couldn't deal with things anymore.

(But they don't talk about that. Professor Cynthia Vesper is a genius scientist, nothing else.)

The last time it had reaches _this_ point, the hospital had given her the best news of their life. The news of what turned out to be the Vesper twins. This time, he hardly doubted that. Especially not with Phoebe still lost in space.

Lennox volunteers to take a leave of absence. He probably already filled the application when he stands in his father's office, discussing the 'breakdown' as Knox, straight to the point, calls it. Something (and this something is strong) wants to say 'no, please, don't worry, son' but he knows Lennox very well. He knows his wife very well too. Lennox Aelius Vesper is much better at being emotional comfort than he is. He grants the leave, passing Lennox' superiors. Such is military. Power is all.

(He does feel guilty for not going, but he can do more here.)

"Thank you, sir," Lennox replies with a salute. "I'll take the next ship to ANGELES."

Knox nods. "Do that, and remain in contact with her, please."

"Yes, sir."

Knox leans back, glances at the information he has compiled. Cynthia, home on ANGELES, is likely to be joined by her relatives already—but just as both like to say, they're relatives. This is family.

"Anything else, sir?"

"Have you tried to contact Phoebe?"

"Yes, sir. No response. I've taken the freedom to look into all possible no-connection-areas." There are few of them. "The only one that Phoebe couldn't know of, maybe, is ECCARS. A snowstorm has been active for ten days, and we have lost contact to all bases, civil or otherwise, since day one. Category five."

"What would she be doing on ECCARS, out of all places?" Knox asks. He's already considered that planet, but for absolutely no reason could he see Phoebe being there. The only one is a mistake, but the General does not permit failure. Especially not with his children. His frown hardens.

Lennox catches that he could have left out that whole bit. It's redundant. "There's no reason, sir. Her last message to Professor Vesper came from XAGION's second moon. There's no reason for her to planet-jump over ECCARS; even if the moon was on XAGION's sun-distant side, then _why_ would she choose to go over ECCARS? There are definitely jumpers going from XAGION to INIDES, or ANGELES directly."

Phoebe's too clever to miss that legally, she's on INIDES—even if she doesn't bother to disguise her planet-jumping to her family. Knox frowns. There's one way to find her (unless she really is on ECCARS, then they won't get through), and that means marking her chip as 'wanted'.

He can do it. Obviously, he has the clearance, and he can set it to a point where nobody (unless they have Phoebe and her chip, and military access) can see it. Again, Naya can, but she would understand. Knox, at least, hopes that, when he notes that down.

"I'll mark her chip as wanted," he determines. They don't even do that when mothers go missing, but Phoebe Vesper has grown up with the 'if you don't get home on time, dad will mark your chip as wanted' threat. She can expect that—especially now with Cynthia's condition.

(Power is all.)

Lennox looks relieved. A little too much showing for Knox' taste—Emrys could go on for more—but he lets it slip. He's hopeful too. Hope, however, is a futile emotion in this line of work. He begins the process either way. He taps his digital pen on the desk.

"That is all," he determines. "Take care of your mother, Lennox."

"Yes, sir."

"You're dismissed." Three more taps, and he sends out the order to set Phoebe's chip as wanted. At most, it'll take five hours to reach all satellites (discounting ECCARS; that one is useless right now) and another six for the signal to find Phoebe's chip, to report back with her location and be processed.

He continues with work, after a brief phone call. It's night-time on ANGELES, and fortunately, Cynthia is asleep. Given the GHQ's current position, she'll wake up to her son on the planet.

(Thank god for planet orbits.)

The only thing General Vesper can do it wait. The speed of light is only so fast.

Ten hours and another two because he has another meeting to attend, he checks the chip data. He expects coordinates relative to a satellite and the satellite's ID (and he knows enough about that thanks to his daughter's ridiculous obsession with space rubbish—also work, but details), but doesn't receive any.

The computer doesn't show coordinates; it says, "ERROR 404. TARGET NOT FOUND. EVRIA SYSTEM CLEARED. VUCCANOE SYSTEM CLEARED. INIDES SYSTEM CLEARED. ANGELES SYSTEM CLEARED. XAGION SYSTEM CLEARED. VUCCANOE SYSTEM CLEARED. BRYKE SYSTEM CLEARED. KOBOS SYSTEM CLEARED. NO CONTACT TO ECCARS GROUND SYSTEM."

He has the scan rerun, and because he knows the only reason for this error to show up, he tells the system to re-run it once a day. They have the capacity for this. The only reason why this error would ever show up is that someone deactivated their chips.

(Or because Phoebe Vesper is stuck on ECCARS.)

The number of such cases happening since the last chip upgrade is below thousands. Given the population of the solar system, this is little. This happening and the chip not sending a signal? These people end up on the 'Most Wanted' list all the time.

He curls his lip. He doesn't want Phoebe to end up on that list, but General Vesper would put her name on it if he needs to. There is, still, the ECCARS snowstorm and protocol requires him to wait until the ECCARS ground system has scanned for her.

"You better be there," he mutters, before sending an encrypted message to Lennox. "What in the world did you do to the MedTracker?" Unfortunately, that one can only send, not receive, and it's made to be removed and replaced.

He glances at his daughter's weeks-old message. "Am leaving now, should be arriving in 4 days. Will send flight details in 3 days (ish). Sorry, I suck at planning haha. Got distracted by some stuff. 3 3 3 Phoebe"

[✧✴✧]

**ECCARS, Hansport, Oasis Central Space Port**

Being wanted is pretty boring if the government can't find you.

The redhead that the General of the military is looking for, about one ECCARS snowstorm later, is lying nearby the windows, watching the winds crash onto the glass. She's dealt with solar storms; this is nothing. That's when the announcement rings through the space port, "The snowstorm has been downgraded to level four. We can expect further downgrading soon. Connection has been established, but is, due to maintenance, only for the military and emergencies. We will return to space traffic when the storm is over and all ships have been checked for maintenance. Thank you for your patience." Phoebe checks her glasses. An error occurs, kindly informing her that 'no connection can be made'. She doubts that the military doesn't have ships ready, but she also doubts they'll send her to ANGELES just like that.

It's then that her right wrist starts glowing.

"Huh?" she mutters, surprised. It's the wrong wrist. The right one isn't meant to glow. "What the fuck?

It takes her a moment that right, that's the wrist where the government chip is in. A very long moment, because by then, someone has noticed her and she gets that hey, the soldiers maybe know that "glowing wrist" plus "alert searching for a woman fitting her description" equals "you maybe wanna arrest her".

(Her maths skill do go that far.)

"Excuse me, ma'am," Soldier Number One from three weeks ago approaches. He looks as stiff as Lennox when he forgot his thermo clothes on KOBOS, but refused to admit it. "I need you to follow me, calm and—"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Phoebe waves it off.

She grabs her bag and all; she doubts that it's not her father looking for her. The soldier is visibly relieved (read—he looks like he's about to faint) that she does not complain and quietly follows to the local military station. It's a bit of a long walk, but Phoebe uses it to check if all is good with the MedTracker (yes, surprise, she last checked this morning) and if she has connection now (no). Out of the edge of her peripheral vision, she catches someone walking out of the hotel—Soldier Number Two with her big old bag. Good—her stuff wouldn't get lost.

The soldiers scan her chip while she sits there. ECCARS soldiers probably don't know that her glasses are a computer; that, or they would have taken them away by now—connection or not. It's protocol on ANGELES at least.

"Phoebe Avalon Vesper?"

"That's me, yes," Phoebe replies. She could inform them that it's likely just her father looking for her, but the soldiers look nervous. She doubts they, happily stationed at a glorified airport, expected to deal with an interplanetary search.

"That's… that's a grade A code. That goes straight to the GHQ," she hears one of them whisper.

"Dude, I don't even know where that is!"

"Nobody knows," the first hushes back.

"Wait, I think we studied that."

"Did we? I nearly failed the test on codes…"

(Even Phoebe could probably pass it with a bit practise…)

Phoebe chuckles. She knows what that means (well, vaguely), and leans back, foot on the table, when they come back, even more nervous. They've made no attempt to restrain her—given the rarity of tracking chips, they definitely should have. They're too scared, she concludes. Phoebe likes that. "Can I help you?" she hums.

Soldier Number One coughs awkwardly. "We need to… We'll need you to wait until people from the ECCARS HQ come here because we… uh…"

"Need to take me to the GHQ, because my chip is being tracked, yes, I know," Phoebe replies. "Please take my bag along. Feel free to search it; I doubt that XAGION souvenirs are illegal though. I'm happy to help." And so, she spends two hours sitting around, searching her bag, soon playing Tetris on her glasses. She only moves one finger; the two soldiers don't even notice.

(Bad protocol work.)

The soldiers from the ECCARS HQ look much, much harsher. They probably work at the prisons, so that's expectable. Their treatment of the soldiers is, also, much harsher. Now, about three hours when they board the military craft (with her bag, fortunately, but out of reach—also without her glasses), she's in the typical glorified chains, at gun point.

(She does not realise.)

Phoebe is proud of how calm she remains. That constant threat of _this_ happening as pirate has prepared her for so many variables—and now she's pretty sure that it's just dad looking for her.

(To be fair, it's been three weeks.)

One big story to tell her crewmates—except they don't know that she's Phoebe Vesper, so she'll need to figure out a few lies around this. Given the orbit of the GHQ and ECCARS, she expects this travel to take a few days though. Phoebe dozes off, but quietly waits. If need be, she can be patient.

(Phoebe Vesper would never ever admit that she grows worried why she's still stuck in cuffs.)

Travelling through the whole solar system takes time, and soon, Phoebe grows bored. She's being escorted by the EMU, so there's no way she can go and chat with the crew. For all she knows, Lennox could be on the team (although she doubts that—family relations and all). Nobody talks to her, and after weeks of being bored in the space port, this ship is even more boring.

A request for 'can I run a movie from my glasses?' is denied.

"Boring," she mutters.

It's then, that she realises. Or maybe just admits it to herself. Something is wrong. It's not being stuck in zero gravity (gosh how used she is to that) or the darkness she's in—it's the fact that she is still cuffed, there's still a gun pointing on her and that she can't really see because she doesn't have her glasses.

(Also, her wrist is still glowing.)

If dad was just looking for her, why has he not told the EMU to let her go and just get her back on ANGELES? Why are they heading past the mother planet towards the sun? Why the GHQ?

Fuck it, Phoebe's heart starts racing.

Not fast enough to alert the MedTracker, but damn fast and she's not found of it. The adrenaline means she can't think as clear. That's not good, but what is she meant to do when there's a big chance that she may or may not have been found, or maybe her crew was arrested and someone spilled and someone made a connection who Abby Wasp is, and that's why they're looking for Phoebe Vesper now, and that's why they don't let her stay on board like a civilian but like a prisoner, and they're just bringing her to the GHQ for sentencing and she's gonna be send back to ECCARS and then they're—

Fuck it. Phoebe's thoughts spiral on. She's not found of it.

Days later (seven, to be exact) the crew moves and Phoebe, who's been counting time, assumes that they're approaching the GHQ. Good—zero gravity without moving is, even with gene modifications, meh on long-term. She remains silent and a tiny little bit (really just a little little bit!) tense as the ship docs.

(Okay, her heart still races, and her clothes are sweaty.)

Why has the red light not turned off? Why do they treat her like a prisoner? That thought comes to be only when they start docking and she notices two soldiers suit up to accompany her.

"Fuck," she mutters. Days of potential 'how to escape the most secure facility in the universe' lost. They dock, and Phoebe feels the simulated gravity of ANGELES acting on her too. Meh. She likes the ships that slowly adapt more. Luxury, she guesses.

Because the light inside the room she is in is literally only the emergency lights, she can't really see when they enter the GHQ ship. When the soldiers salute to some superior, she is, in fact, nearly blinded. Both EMU members greet someone.

"That is all, you are dismissed."

EMU Number One doesn't agree. "Sir, red-lighted chips are to be—"

Phoebe interrupts him. "Hi, looser. Can you get me out of here?"

EMU Number Two punches her. "Shut up, brat."

There's no amusement in Second Lieutenant Lennox Vesper's voice. Strange—where's the insult back? Isn't that exactly what they do, all the time? They're siblings, for heaven's sake! They have to do that! Popular media says so! "We are taking over from here."

(Unless, of course, Mr Law-above-All has a mission.)

"Says who?"

"General Vesper."

There's movement and finally, Phoebe can stop cringing at the light. Her lovely twin brother, with a grim face, shows them an order on a digital screen. She assumes it's from the General—enough to make EMU Number One push her into her brother's arms. Lennox, although still way too grim and annoyed for a family reunion, removes the restrains. Thank god that she's got family high up here. The tension from before is forgotten; surely this all was just one big misunderstanding.

Phoebe opens her mouth, but her little brother by nineteen minutes is first, "What. In. The. Whole. Universe. Are. You. Thinking. Phoebe."

"Right now? Why nobody gave me something to call home," she jokes back. She stretches her arms—gosh, seven days—and looks around. "Where's my stuff?"

"This is not 'where's my stuff', Phoebe. You nearly gave mum a heart attack."

That hits hard, but Phoebe doesn't show it. "I can't control the weather, Lenny."

"You can control not going to _ECCARS_, out of all places. Or looking at a weather forecast, at least."

He turns around, and Phoebe takes this as a sign to follow him. She has absorbed the maze that the GHQ is before—being one of the few civilians to ever have been on the ship has its advantages—but Lennox refuses to say anything more.

Not when she asks where her stuff is.

Not when she asks for food, because you don't get a lot as EMU prisoner.

Not when she asks what happened with mum. At least he reacts a little; that's a win to her.

They walk through a bunch of hand scanner doors, and reach a point where Lennox needs to wait for verification (twice), before they reach a door that Phoebe remembers very well; her father's office. They wait in silence until the door opens.

"Hi, dad."

"Sit down." Damn, he sounds angry. _How_ is a _snowstorm_ her fault? What can she do against that? That's weather, literally just physics. He's married to a scientist. He should know. Nonetheless, she sits down.

"Care to explain how you ended up on ECCARS?"

Phoebe tilts her head a little. "If I was to write a _Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_, then my first note would be 'make sure your ride is going to the right planet'?"

"How do you not notice you're passing BRYKE, not ANGELES—the planet you were meant to land on?" Lennox blurts out. He's still angry. _Damn, calm down Lenny._

"I was… watching Star Wars…?" she pauses. "So, I'm not arrested or anything?"

"Did you commit a crime?" her father deadpans.

_Yes, but also, not today?_ She remains silent, and so does Lennox in her peripheral vision. Well, nobody is pointing a gun at her head now, but the cold glare of her father honestly is worse. _Failure. Yeah, Phoebe, you failed_, she thinks.

"There's your answer." _You've failed. I'm angry. This is a lesson. Don't fail._

Approximately an hour later, Phoebe Avalon Vesper sits in a shuttle to ANGELES with the cold glares of a bunch of soldiers accompanying her. She knows that the anger is just a form of worry; she can see that in Lennox eyes. She knows her twin. She knows him well.

(She's still salty.)

[✧✴✧]

**ANGELES, Beverly Grove, 396th floor, Southern Tower**

Phoebe Vesper does not touch down in a soft, made for business spacecraft as she expected, and she is a month late, but she does touch down. Hard, and the multiple Gs of landing on a planet have knocked her unconscious twice. Fun.

At least she's not in chains anymore, and once she wobbles her way into the ANGELES HQ, through the doors, customs (awkward enough to do that in a military facility, but people seem to be polite enough given her name) and finally outside. The air of ANGELES is terrible, but she's used to that.

There's a car waiting for her, and she spends the drive-in silence.

Home.

Cynthia Vesper, with droid Sonia, waits inside the entrance. She does, however, not hesitate to hug her daughter to death the instant she leaves the car. Phoebe wants to make a fun comment, but she can't—not when Cynthia is crying. Not when she's crying and also somewhat laughing and still hugging Phoebe to death.

(Phoebe still needs a shower.)

"Uh… hi? Sorry? I got caught in a snowstorm?"

"What in the world were you doing?!"

"Sitting around, staring at a wall, yeah."

"On ECCARS, I mean! That's—"

Where they keep the prisoners they want to die, the poor scientists that mum always feels bad for and… fish? Yeah, probably fish. Phoebe shrugs, and pushes her mom to go inside.

They spend the rest of the evening with Cynthia being a little too relieved, and Phoebe finally getting to give her the souvenirs she's collected. Even if Cynthia doesn't talk about what happened, Phoebe knows—she's seen Lennox' expression.

(They also don't discuss that she officially was only on INIDES.)

Phoebe ends up being stuck on ANGELES for a while, because of course, Cynthia won't let her out of her sight (also, doctor's appointments. Yay. Not.) and the closest of 'getting out' turns into "You can go to the cafeteria while I hold a lecture".

Given the fact that wherever she goes, _some_ technology identifies her as Phoebe Avalon Vesper, she can't exactly go and tell her friends "Hi, I'm still alive, but I'm a bit worried about mum, so I won't come back immediately, sorry". She decides to not tackle the problem until dad and Lennox are back for the monthly family dinner.

(It's good to be home—especially after a month of space port.)

"Phoebe, we need to talk," dad begins the instant Sonia & friends started running dinner. That's not a good sign, and Phoebe tenses up.

"Uhm, yes?" That doesn't mean she looks up from dinner.

"Your mother and I have spoken about this, and—"

She already glances to her brother who dutifully eats his dinner. Traitor.

"We would like you to stay on ANGELES for a bit."

Phoebe can't pretend to be surprised. She expected that. Comments from relatives and what not on Cynthia's side that want her to 'stop being such a child' (Oh, they have _no_ idea) and stop 'travelling' (She is doing more, but details.). She can't pretend that it was inevitable, given the mess.

She can't pretend that she has any argument working against what they'll bring up.

(Sure, her parents won't literally ban her from travel but…)

She tries either way. "It was an unfortunate accident. A snowstorm I couldn't control. I'll run—"

"It's not only that," dad replies. "Do I need to explain to you that you cannot spend all your life just travelling the galaxy?"

Well, theoretically, she could, but probably not as Phoebe Vesper and legally. Phoebe fishes for an argument she can't find. She'll need to find a way to support the Uprising from here until… well, until she has an excuse to leave the planet and re-join the Pirates.

"Then please don't make me stay inside. Let me… get a job or something," she argues.

There is, thank the stars, no opposition in mum or dad's face.

"Alright," they agree.

And round about that is how Phoebe goes back to her roots and joins a bunch of environment freaks with connections to the Uprising. That is how she returns to being Abby Wasp, sends her crew a message that she's got to lay low for a while but will be back at some point.

(It works out, but damn, Phoebe misses the adrenaline of the Space Pirates.)

ANGELES life isn't as boring as it could be.

Of course, Phoebe Avalon Vesper does not say on ANGELES. On Day Three of Phoebe-stays-home, she's in space at the base, helping an Uprising crew smuggle some wanted guy out of the system.

That's how she ends up breaking into a fancy high-tech company and uses the code they ordered from some fancy hacker (Kali, she believes) to alter what it runs. Ads in favour of the Uprising. Changing the public's opinion as long as it remains undiscovered.

It's how she goes back to her roots—to the pro-environment forums—and talks about their cause. Invites people to join them for the change. Of course, all that remains lowkey just in case anyone could make the connection to Phoebe Avalon Vesper.

(Her name… she just can't tell them.)

ANGELES is, of course, the least interest for them, but it's also a hub and basis if you want to _really_ affect things.

It's all these little adventures that she dubs her job (slash, volunteer work—that's why she doesn't get paid) and avoids family asking questions. She ends up talking the local Uprising in paying her the minimum wage and dad stops asking.

("Just a boring desk job. But you gotta start somewhere.")

Two months later, that application comes in.

Initially, Phoebe discards it. It's the least of her concern. Join the academy and fight for the enemy? Nah. Lenny can do that. She discards it, and forgets about it, until Lennox brings it up at dinner.

"You two should apply."

_But Lennox already went through the academy_, Phoebe almost says. She doesn't (that's when mum brings up the MedTracker_, but stay away with doctor's visit, I went there yesterday_).

"Fine. I'll apply," Lennox announces.

Oh—now he's gonna be the best again? Seriously? Phoebe nearly laughs. Typical Lenny. Maybe he just want to go back and be everyone's crush at work. Just for that, you should go in, she jokes. To prove that she's better than him. Neither are going to be the great big new mind dad talks about, though. That's not gonna happen. It's a stupid, desperate call of someone who is slowly losing the war—even if he won't admit it. Phoebe doesn't have enough intel from the front, but if dad is going this way, then he must be desperate.

There won't be new minds—not in the academy that trains everyone to be mindless minions.

_But what if we are?_

_ What if the Uprising gets someone inside?_

There'll be security scans. They'll fish them out—those with holes in their backstory, and problems opposing. Friends will be questioned. Family will be investigated. They won't let questionable kids get in—especially not with their super fancy special programme—

_Except—what if the applicant's surname is Vesper? _

"Hey, mum?" Phoebe asks after dinner. "It's been two months, and… I guess ANGELES is getting boring. Is it okay with you if I apply for the academy? Even if I don't get into that special programme—" Both know she will—as Vesper or not. "—then I'd try again for the next year. I get that it's military and dangerous and all, but Lennox is in and… yeah."

Cynthia smiles, and it's then that Phoebe realises that at least mum and dad discussed this.

And so, Phoebe Avalon Vesper follows her mother's trend and uses a man's surname to get what she wants. Not just power, but inside.


	2. How to Hack the Military

**Space, GHQ, Women's Bathroom at the Special Programme Recruit's Corridoor**

Was this a stupid idea? Yes.

Were they gonna get into trouble? Yes.

Were they relying on Echo and Phoebe's parents to save them? Yes.

Were they gonna do it either way? Yes.

Echo hovered over the map of the GHQ space ship that Nova had gotten her hands on. Phoebe was fiddling with her brother's mechanical tools, she had gotten from him when visiting to 'discuss mum's birthday present' (which wasn't until a few more months, but she used the 'busy at work' excuse to get by).

"We need to get into the server room," Nova explained, "then, I don't need to go through systems to get access right away. It'll take a moment, and we _need_ to stay away from Blythe. Distract her, best. She's the real threat here."

"Any chance we can get her on board? We just wanna pull a little prank."

"We could, technically, try to talk the General into it. If we manage, then it's a big security hole," Echo remarks.

"That's true!" Nova agreed.

However, Phoebe shook her head, "He has _no_ sense of humour. If we tell him it might be a security hole, he won't let _us_ test it."

"Then we probably have a better shot with Blythe."

"Maybe if we impress her, we can talk her into looking away?" Nova suggested. She leaned back, playing with her purple strings she did not, as rules demanded, wear in the right hairdo right now.

"The reason she's such a danger is because she's a walking tech detector," Echo explained.

Phoebe agreed. "First, we need to get in and then Nova can hack-hack and problem solved. Five minutes in, then out."

To her dismay, Nova shook her head. "Hacking isn't a 'five minute' matter, Phoebe."

"Yeah, _Feebee_, it takes more than five minutes."

"LAny devices we can get our hands on here, she could detect," Nova elaborated. "If you get me in, even with immediate access and admin password, I don't know the software. And I don't have the admin password."

"Can _Feebee_ get that from her dad?"

"Technically, I'd say so. Practically, I doubt that he'd give it to her."

Phoebe brightened up. "Not to me, but to Lenny!"

Echo visibly blushed. Phoebe didn't hide her laugh at that, and by all means, Nova probably did too, but that didn't hide her curiosity. "He isn't gonna ask him for you."

"Dad doesn't need to know that it's not Lenny. Our DNA is super similar, because we're twins. The scanners here are coded in a way to let the small differences go, because the radiation from the sun causes constant mutations either way, and elsewise, soldiers would be locked out _all the time_. We just need a tablet that allows DNA sign in."

Echo grinned. "That isn't difficult to get."

"It might not be difficult to get, but difficult to hide from Blythe."

"I can ask my old unit to get my when they have her, and ask the other years for it. We can model her schedule from that. I can say that it is for a surprise our group is planning."

"Once we have her schedule and the tablet, then we can ask dad. If he agrees, Echo smuggles Nova in, and she starts the hack. Let's plan the route we take. It'll depend when we get the access from dad."

"What if he makes the access dependable on Lennox' account?" Nova wondered. "He could just have his access modified."

"Valid concern, but the only difference in how we log in on normal desktops and tablets and DNA scanner-equipped devices is what and how you enter your password. We just need to get a detachable DNA scanner."

"Where do we get that from?" Echo frowned.

"…" Phoebe paused. "There's gonna be one _somewhere_."

"Evander Axton has access to a workshop once a week. Maybe he also has access to materials? Could we ask him?"

Phoebe huffed. "I know Axton. He isn't gonna give us that without something in return. What do we have that he'd want?"

Echo gleams. "A connection to the General, and a means to less solitude for him?"

She shook her head. "Dad isn't being fair on any of us, in case you noticed. He's got a no tolerance policy, which I think sucks, and I can't talk him into changing _that_. We can't just ask him. He'll play us somehow, and I ain't risking things over _this_."

"This literally is a risk," Nova muttered.

"Then how else do we get our hands on a DNA scanner? Where we are is super-controlled. It'll be difficult enough to get outside the academy part of the ship."

"How about history? Could we talk Professor Atlas into letting us study the history of technology development?"

"The special programme is super condensed. Five years into one. He won't diverge from the teaching plan," Echo criticised.

"Nobody said something about in class study." Phoebe grins sinisterly. "We'll ask him for some bonus study in our own time, and if he's got some older DNA scanners. If we get a model new enough, we'll get in—with Lennox' DNA."

"It being older would mean it's not as good too!" Nova beamed. "That's a good idea! Then we need you, though."

"Not necessarily. DNA scanners use blood. We just need a little bit blood."

"It brings up Blythe again, though," Echo worried. "She'll notice the scanner."

"We could modify the DNA scanner to not send any signal, if it's old enough to work by cable?"

"That'd be lots of variables," Phoebe noted concerned. "We don't need the whole DNA scanner part if we just get an access code. If we need it, then we need to avoid Blythe. How do we avoid her? We have her schedule, yes, and we should be fine once we reach the GHQ because of the high security. It'll be equipped against her. But until then? How do we explain walking around with the scanner?"

"Could we get Atlas there, so we can say we wanted to give it back?"

"The closer we get to the GHQ tunnel, the less realistic that is." Phoebe crossed her arms.

"If we do it at night, would she be asleep?" Echo proposed.

"Who knows, maybe she cyberstalks everyone asleep too."

"Jam it?" Nova suggested.

"I mean, use tranquilizer. Get her sick. We don't know how much of her brain is computer. Too many variables."

"She is a problem," Echo nodded, "could you distract her?"

"_How?_" Phoebe asked. "How do I keep her busy enough to avoid noticing you guys?"

Nova grinned, "Better. How do you keep her busy and reason us! Look, we just need our DNA scanner excuse! You go and ask her about coding. The coding we learn isn't very low level. We do high level stuff, because the average soldier doesn't need it. The DNA scanners used to be written in it. Just ask her about the different types of languages, and keep her engaged!"

"… Works." Phoebe nodded. "We might need to do actual work, but this will work."

And so, they set the plan in action. Phoebe stopped by their professor after one of their lessons, explaining that in a conversation, the idea of DNA scanners had come up and that they were interested in studying their history—if possible, looking at their own examples.

Unfortunately, Atlas did not have examples on hand, but he could get his hands on, with a few weeks time. More than enough time for Echo to quietly inquire about Blythe's schedule, handed to Phoebe who would jump in action if she noticed anything.

Finally, the tablet which Nova supplied.

Phoebe's message was quick and copied Lennox awfully formal, polite writing style. To her surprise (and dismay, because Lennox got the points), the General's response was positive. He agreed that 'testing if direct access via servers' was possible was vital, and thanked Lennox for volunteering to additionally pick up that one.

The day of their glorious plan, in the late evening when most were eating, Echo and Nova made their way, excusing themselves early from dinner under the basis of 'female problems'. They had timed by that.

Echo, of course, was capable of getting herself and Nova inside the admin room, once they had Lennox slip card that Phoebe easily stole from him, that was pretty easy, and the only issue was not being questioned. Another thing that Echo easily did—with two 'borrowed' uniforms of former seniors she was close to.

They reached the server room, where Nova immediately went to work. The DNA scanner worked (as part of their research, they had practised), and she soon was in the systems, careful not to leave traces. She wasn't very keen on framing Lennox (and she was pretty sure, Echo wasn't either).

"Are you in?" Echo asked about every five minutes.

"No," Nova dutifully replied.

Yet, eventually, she made it and with a heavy nod from Echo, pressed the equivalent of the big red button, the Enter key. All over the GHQ, the centre of the whole military in the whole Illéa system—the defence of the pinnacle of humanity—it resounded. They had hacked its voice system, and the song echoed.

"_The snow glows white on the mountain tonight, not a footprint to be seen…_"

Obviously, Echo busted into laughter.

Someone else did not, however. Lennox Vesper stood in the door, arms crossed and with a large frown on his face. Echo, in the middle of her laughter, did not notice at first, but Nova froze entirely. When Echo noticed her, she tilted her head.

"What's up?"

Nova only managed to point behind her. Echo turned, and jumped, crying out too many swearwords.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, stern and cold.

"I—uh—I'm—yikes."

"You have five seconds to explain."

"… We… uhm…"

"You're playing _Let it go_, yes, I noticed." He glanced around, eyeing the DNA scanner and the obvious brown-red on it. "… My sister is on this too, isn't she?"

And about ten minutes later, Phoebe got a visit from her nineteen minutes younger twin brother. "Oh, Phoebe, what are you doing?"

Phoebe, who had just returned from distracting Blythe (after running out of ideas), was happy to reply with a big smile and all the confidence in the world in her excuse. "I'm working on a little side project for history, and I just spoke to Professor Ellis about it.

"And what about Cadet Vellena and Cadet Constantine? Or the fact that an internal message was sent from my account, to dad, without my knowledge, when the only person with any access would be someone whose blood happened to be on a DNA scanner in Vellena's hands?"

Suffice to say, Phoebe got into trouble too. They all did. The whole GHQ did, however, get to listen to a lovely loop of _Let it go_, because by all means, it wasn't Lennox' first priority to take down that one.

Did they land in solitary for the rest of the week? Yes.

Did this leave a permanent record? Yes.

Did they discover a security risk? Yes.

Did they hear a side-lined 'thank you' from the head of security? Yes.


End file.
